Pocket-watch.



E U. FITCH.

POCKET WATCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY s, 1913 1,084,880, Patented Jan. 20, 1914. v

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA C. FITCH, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WAL'IHAM WATCH COMPANY, OF WALIHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

POCKET-WATCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA C. Fircri, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Valtham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocketatches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to pocket watches and has for its primary object to provide a watch which combines the ad vantages of the highest possible accuracy and of the least possible thickness.

The modern demands for watches embrace two distinct qualities or characteristics. First, there is a proper and increasing demand for accuracy in watch performance. Concerning this, it may be said that while absolute accuracy is doubtless unattainable, it is yet true that modern achievements have made so close an approach to it that very little more seems possible. But second, there is a corresponding feeling that while little remains to be achieved in the direction of accuracy, there yet remains quite a field for improvement in the direction of beauty and convenience of form in which the pocket timepiece shall be made. A pocket watch may very appropriately combine the merits and advantages of utility, beauty and convenience. While it is at all times a matter of convenience and often of necessity for a gentleman to carry a reliable timepiece, there are occasions when it is desired to make it inconspicuous.

The attainment of the advantages of such convenience, beauty and utility is the object of the present invention. This object is achieved by means of the improved construction of the combination between a watch movement and its case, of which the preferred form is exhibited in the drawings forming a part of this application, and is explained in detail in the following specification.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a pocket watch in which my present invention is embodied, the watch being shown with the back cover of the case removed, representing approximately the actual size of the watch. Fig. 2 is a central cross section of the watch drawn to the same scale as Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial cross sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1913.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

Serial No. 765,764.

tion of the watch on a greatly enlarged scale.

I will first describe the details of construction shown in these drawings and then explain the principles and purposes underlying such construction.

The parts lettered a and 5 represent the frame of a watch movement, the part a being the part which is ordinarily known as the pillar plate and sometimes as the bottom or front plate, and the part Z) repre senting the top or back plate or one of the bridges which is secured to the pillar plate and contains the bearings for one end of the various arbors or staffs of the watch movement, which have their other ends supported in hearings in the pillar plate. As my present invention does not require for its carrying out any change in the construction of the movement and movement frame, I have not shown these parts in any detail, merely showing enough of the movement frame to indicate its position and size with relation to the case.

The case consists of the usual annular central. member 0 commonly called the case center, the back cover (Z and the bezel 6 carrying the crystal 1, the case center being provided with the usual annular ribs or shoulders c and c somewhat undercut on their outer sides to hold the back cover and bezel in place. In these respects there is no diiference between the case here shown and any ordinary watch case, and any of the known modes of attaching the cover and bezel to the case center may be utilized in a watch made according to my invention without departing from the invention. The manner in which this case differs from the ordinary case is particularly in its thickness or width from front to back and particularly in the slight width in this direction of the case center. In diameter the case is substantially the same as the standard or ordinary gentlemans watch.

It will be noted that the inner diameter of the case center is considerably larger than the external diameter of the movement frame. Occupying the space between the movement frame and the case center is an annular frame it and a ring 7;. The former fits the pillar plate of the movement frame and has a lip h overlying the edge of the pillar plate and against which the latter is clamped by the attaching screws 1 or by any other suitable means. The frame it also has a lip 71. overlapping the inner circumference of the case center within the rib 0 The ring 2' fits easily around the top plate Z) or the equivalent bridges, and on its outer edge fits within the rib c of the case center and bears against the face of the case center within such rib. The ring also has a flange 2' extending toward the frame it to hold the inner circumference of the ring at the proper distance from the frame when the latter and the ring are secured together by the connecting screws Z. There are as many of such connecting screws as may be required, three being usually suflicient. They pass through holes in the ring 2' and enter tapped sockets in the frame it. hen the frame and ring are drawn together by these screws their outer edges grasp the inner portion of the case center between them and thus they are securely attached to the case center. its the movement frame is secured to the frame 71 by the means already described, such movement frame is thus securely connected with the case in a central position.

The dial of the watch is represented at m. This dial lies at the front side of the pillar plate and extends beyond the same to the rib orfiange h of the frame It, within which it is seated and is held in any common or suitable way, as by the studs a projecting from the inner side of the dial into sockets in :the frame it and by set screws 0 passing from the periphery of the frame It into engagement with such studs. The studs and attaching screws are shown dotted in Fi 3.

The ring 2' may be made plain or ornamental, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The-case is provided with the usual pendant p shown in Fig. 1, containing the winding and setting stem of any appropriate charac'ter, the crown 1" of which is also shown in Fig. 1.

The means which I have above described for securing the movement in the case permits a standard movement of small diameter and correspondingly slight thickness to be mounted in a case having substantially the diameter of the standard gentlemans watch, while the slight thickness of such movement enables the case to be made much thinner than it has hitherto been possible to make such watches. Thus the advantage of thinness is secured while the advantage of accuracy is obtained by the employment of a standard movement, the small size and slight thickness of which permit the attainment of the desired thinness in the, complete watch. At the same time the advantage of legibility is :secured by the employment of the dial of large diameter, it being understood of course that correspondingly longer hands are employed, the dial and hands extending to an amount greatly in excess of the radius of the movement itself. This improved form of construction secures the diameter and corresponding legibility of a large watclnsuch for instance as that known commercially as the 12 size together with the thinness of a six 0 size, known commercially as ewel series. Of course, in thus indicating the sizes and dimensions of the parts of the watch, I do not intend to be understood as limiting my invention to a watch of any particular proportions and dimensions, since I may combine a movement having even less diameter and thickness than that indicated with a case and dial of even greater diameter in order to secure the advantages of thinness, and legibility with accuracy, to an even greater degree than that indicated.

This improved watch is distinguished from watches heretofore produced in which a ring is employed as a part of the means for securing the movement in the case, in the following respects: That, whereas in such watches the movement is practically as large as the interior of the case center and the ring has very slight thickness (or radial width), in my improved watch the move ment is much smaller than the case center, there is a wide annular space between the movement and the case center, and the annular frame, or annulus, ]t has a radial width substantially as great as this space, and therefore relatively great as compared with the radial width of the case center. Further, in my watch the movement is securely fastened in the annulus it independently of the fastening of the latter in the case; an entirely novel feature in watch construction, so far as I am aware.

T have not intended to restrict my inven tion to a watch of any particular shape, that is, to a watch having a circular outline rather than an outline of any other regular or irregular form. The term annular and the term ring as used in the foregoing specification and the appended claims in description of the case center and the members 7L and i are not intended to limit these par s or members to a circular form, but are intended to embrace any members having the same or equivalent functions, wherever their bounding outlines and whatever the position of the movement within the case. I consider that a watch which includes a case having any regular or irregular peripheral outline, a movement of smaller dimensions than the inner periphery of the case center, and an intermediate connecting member formed to fit internally within the case center and externally around the movement, whether the external and internal peripheries of such intermediate member are similar or dissimilar, or are concentric or eccentric, is Within the scope of my invention; and that a combination as above described including also a dial which extends beyond the movement in any direction is also within the scope of my invention, whatever may be the shape or outline of the dial.

WVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a pocket watch, the combination with a movement frame of an annulus surrounding the front part of said frame and secured thereto, a case center surrounding said annulus, the latter having a flange overlapping the case center at one side, a ring surrounding the rear portion of the movement and having its outer edge overlapping the case center at the rear or opposite side, said ring occupying the space bet-ween the movement and the case center, and means for drawing said ring toward said annulus,

whereby to clamp the case center between the outer edge of the one and the peripheral flange of the other.

2. In a pocket watch, the combination with a movement frame of an annulus surrounding said frame and secured thereto, a case center surrounding said annulus, a ring having a contour similar to that of the annulus, also surrounding the movement frame and having its edge overlapping the case center atthe opposite side to that over which the flange of the annulus extends, and means for drawing said ring toward said annulus, whereby to clamp the case center firmly between the ring and annulus.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EZRA C. FITCH.

Vitnesses BEATRICE E. MosHER,

E. A. MARSH.

copiel of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0." 

